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I'm starting a new segment, and it's going to just be random photographs of my little feet in various different places out in the world. I'll add to it as I collect more pictures, so keep checking back. But, for now I'll leave you with:
So sorry everyone for practically disappearing there for awhile, but March has been rearing its ugly head -- weather wise. We've had rain and snow mixed, then sunshine and clear skies, and following soon after, black skies and hail...all in the same day. Ha! Good ol' Washington spring weather for ya.
I did get a chance to get out a few weeks back on February 27th with my Uncle. He has long shared my love and passion for the outdoors and photography, so it's always a pleasant trip when I can spend some quality time with my Uncle (aka my second dad).
It's really amazing what mother nature can do when you think about it. And it's not hard to miss some serious resurfacing when you take a walk through Kautz Creek. Even though we were well on the trail, and pretty far away from the creek, the ground was still loose enough to uproot a enormous tree from the glacial outburst. Huge boulders being carried down by raging glacial waters have been slammed into the creek walls, and poulverized into tiny, fine grain sand on the floor. Trees snapped in half like twigs and scattered all the way down the river, and log bridges washed out, no longer able to be in use.
I made it across the river, and up to the series of switchbacks that starts the strenuous part of the trek up to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, but it's still a little too early for that. We turned around at that point, and came home. Zuki definitely needed to be walked by the time we made it back home!
Hey gang!
I just thought I'd write real quick to let you all know that I haven't fallen off the face of the planet -- yet. :) The weather has been super nasty lately with a lot of rain, so I haven't been able to get out much. I've taken a few leisurely strolls through Bradley Lake Park, and Clark's Creek with my mom and dad, but no major hiking excursions to report this time. I did, however, get a taste for the first mile of Swan Creek a few weeks back when my mom and I decided to just "check it out." I can't wait to blast my way through the whole thing.
New backpacking/hiking boots arrived in the mail the other day -- an early birthday present, courtesy of my mom. My Uggs are perfect for trekking in the cold winter weather, but I definitely needed something a bit less warm for summer. The last two days have been spent breaking in my new Scarpa SL M3's.
So, I'm not gonna lie...I was thoroughly disappointed today by the fact that my camera's batteries died a mere two snapshots into my hike. Curse you stupid, unreliable, disposable, AA alkaline batteries! My next purchase???
...A package of re-chargable batteries and a charger. Go team green!
The weather wasn't as nice as I hoped it would be, but it could've been worse, so I guess I can't complain too much. I didn't risk hiking very far today, because we've seen a lot of rain fall over the last week or two, and hiking up steep switchbacks with loose trail underfoot didn't seem like a very safe idea to me. I'll wait until early summer to tackle my way up to Indian Henrey's Hunting Ground, once the ground has had a chance to dry out a bit.
Still, my 2.0 mile out-and-back trek proved to have some stunning views (despite the fact that Mt. Rainier was nowhere in sight). I wish I could've had my camera working so I could've taken pictures, but I guess I'll just have to describe it to you, and take photos later this summer when I go back. The Kautz Creek Trail is relatively easy going for the first mile and winds its way through white birch forests, plenty of woodpecker roosts, and rocky terrain, all the while with Kautz Creek whispering in the distance. Although the rich, red, iron infused creek is fairly small (as of now), the creek bed itself is rather large due to the Glacial Outburst Flood of 1947. Sixty-three years later the devestation is still blatantly obvious. During the summer, I'm sure the creek will be quite a bit larger with all the glacier melt-off. Grey, misty clouds crept down from the mountain side, nestling themselves in the deep fir forests of the foothills. The woods were strangely quiet, without even so much as a chirp from a bird. Perhaps because of the season. I went as far as the Kautz Creek Crossing, then turned back, for fear of rougher trail further ahead.
Here's my weak attempt at footage and pictures of my adventure. Drat those batteries! Hopefully next time I'll be more prepared, and maybe the summer weather will provide better light, flowering meadows, and bluer skies.
Kautz Creek (Take 1)
Karen | MySpace Video
Well, I have quite a bit of time on my hands over this next week -- due to a very drastic lull in business at work. However, my spirits are high, and I'm greatly looking forward to the amount of time I have off in conjunction with the fair forecast that's been predicted for the next few days. Although fairly rainy today, I'm hoping the clouds will wring out their stores this evening and into the night to produce the sunny skies reported for tomorrow. If that's the case, another trip up to Mt. Rainier is in order with my mom for a quick hike up the Kautz Creek Trail. While I won't be going all the way up to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground (I'll save that for a later date and more preferred, summer weather) it'll still be a good 2.0 mile trek up to the Kautz Creek Glacial Outburst Flood site and back. I finally bought my resevior for my pack, and this will give me a good excuse to test it out.
Trying desperately to prepare myself for the amount of hiking I plan on doing this summer, I've added yoga to my routine to try and build up strength, while lengthening and stretching out my muscles. Doing Moon Salutations in the evening before bed has proven to be a great way for me to relieve stress, and prepare my body for sleep and rest. I'm going to try to incorporate Sun Salutations in the morning to aid me in laying the ground work for the day, and finish off of course with de-stressing Moon's at night. Still, I wish it wasn't so rainy so I could get out and jog a few times a week, but that's the Pacific Northwest for ya.
I'll report back tomorrow, hopefully with footage and photographs of a sunny day up at Mt. Rainier. Until next time...
I just absolutely love spontaneous trips. My mom has always proven to be a reliable companion on such excursions, as we both share like-minded spirits -- and more often than not -- she is the one responsible for coming up with, and executing the ideas. Take yesterday for example.
I awoke early in the morning at 7:00am, and had absolutely no plans whatsoever for the day, except that I had to be at work at 6:00pm that evening. I stumbled down the stairs in a groggy stupor, and imediately reached for the coffee pot. My mom then asked me, "Well? What should we do today?" I knew the wheels in her head were already turning as we dicussed many options over our morning coffee. We came up with tons of ideas, but one remained constant: Zuki (my mom's dog) had to come with us! She needed a day out of the house too! Still not settled on one particular idea over the other, we decided to get ready and take it from there.
Once I was ready, I bounded down the stairs once more, completely convinced that we might just be going into town. "I think we'll go to Mt. Rainier," my mom said as we gathered our things, "Longmire is still open even though it's winter." My reaction was estatic! Mt. Rainier?! Are you kidding me?! I didn't think I was going to make it up there until well into spring! I certainly wasn't prepared for that, but that's what's so great about my mom. She'll always surprise you. So, I raced upstairs, grabbed my backpack, threw on another layer, changed into my boots, and off we went.
It only took us forty-five minutes to reach the Nisqually Entrance Station, and soon we were driving through thick Douglas-fir forests, carpeted with moss, and littered with streams towards Longmire. Shortly after gaining access to the park, we stumbled upon two deer -- a doe and her yearling fawn. I didn't expect to see anything since we were visiting the park in the dead of winter, so seeing those deer was extremely rare, and a real treat. We also stopped alongside the road to take a short video, and snap a quick picture of me hugging a HUGE 300-400 year old Douglas-fir tree. It was so big I could barely wrap my arms around the thing, so you can just imagine the size of it.
Once inside the vicinity of Longmire, Zuki had the chance to stretch her legs and walk the parking lot. Animals are not permitted on the trails at the park, only in zones where your car is allowed (like parking lots, campgrounds, and roadsides). But that didn't dampen her spirits in the slightest, and she was quite content racing around the wooded parking lot and sniffing all kinds of new scents. My mom and I took a few more pictures, and visited the giftshop at the Inn, where she secretly purchased a book for me and surprised me with it once outside. It's called "A Falcon Guide: Hiking Mount Rainier National Park" and it has limitless information about all the trails in the park. I can't wait to delve into it!
I got to look my ultimate adversary in the eyes as I gazed in awe at the trail head of the Wonderland Trail there at Longmire. I just sort of sat and stared at the sign for a few moments contemplating to myself, "I will hike you...eventually. I'm nowhere near ready yet, but I will be. You just wait and see." Ha-ha!
